


The Light That Carries You Home

by escritoireazul



Category: Full House (US), Fuller House
Genre: Cabin Fic, College Anxiety, First Meetings, Gen, Post-Series, Pre-Series, Road Trips, Sister-Sister Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-08 22:29:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8865817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/escritoireazul/pseuds/escritoireazul
Summary: The summer before she leaves for Berkeley, DJ says good-bye.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [celeria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeria/gifts).



> Many thanks to my beta.
> 
> This story is set after the Full House series and before the Fuller House series, though it does briefly introduce one of the Fuller House characters.

DJ stood in the middle of her room, organization fallen to chaos, and she was lost in the maelstrom of it. One fourth of her things were carefully packed into boxes, ready to go with her to her dorm next week. Another quarter were shoved into different boxes, ready to be donated because she didn’t need them anymore, didn’t want them anymore, shed them like snakeskin.

(Steph and Michelle had already gone through those boxes, taking what they wanted. Probably through some of her other boxes, too. Before she left at the end of the summer, she would have a quick rummage through their room, make sure nothing she actually wanted to keep had walked off without her.) 

Her dad had put up with the mess for weeks, which surprised her. Every morning, she woke up expecting to see that elves in the form of Danny Tanner had turned up in the night to clean things to his exacting standards. He’d relaxed over the years, between Uncle Jesse and Uncle Joey, Aunt Becky and the twins, and all the scrapes, adventures, and drama they’d seen together as a family, but that relaxation could only go so far.

And then there was the last half of her stuff, those things lost in between. 

She wiped sweat from her forehead and leaned against the wall. Half of her stuff remained unpacked and strewn around the room, draped over her chair, shoved up against the walls, piled together on the floor of the closet.

This was the sticking point. She didn’t necessarily want to take any of it with her to college, but she wasn’t ready to donate it, either. There were too many memories tangled up in it. DJ didn’t think she was ready to start untying those knots.

“Deej!” Stephanie grabbed the edge of the doorjamb to keep her balance as she swung into the room, giggling. “Come on, you said you were ready to leave ten minutes ago!”

“I know.”

“And you hate being late!”

She rolled her eyes. “We don’t actually have a schedule, you know. I can’t be late if we don’t have a schedule.”

Stephanie’s laugh was full throated and loud. “Are you serious?” she asked. “Of course we have a schedule! Dad made copies for each of us! Laminated them! And color coded the different sections.”

“Of course he did,” DJ said. She had to smile.

“Of course he did,” Stephanie repeated, then came all the way into her room. “Come on!”

“Okay, okay already.” DJ grabbed her duffel bag off her bed and slung it over her shoulder. “Go get your stuff!”

Stephanie beamed at her. “Already downstairs,” she said. “Michelle’s too, and Kimmy’s here. We’re just waiting on you, slow poke.”

DJ didn’t bother trying to hide her eyeroll. “Since I’m the entire reason for this weekend,” she said, and let her words trail off.

Stephanie laughed again, and sing-songed, “Oh, yeah, Mrs. Big Stuff, who did I think you were?”

That left DJ giggling, too. 

Stephanie looked around DJ’s room, and some of the brightness slipped from her smile. “It looks so different in here,” she said.

Part of DJ wanted to drop her bag and wrap her sister in a big, warm hug. The rest of her, though, wasn’t ready to talk about leaving. She still had a few more days before she had to say good-bye.

“Yeah, well, I probably won’t recognize it when we get back.” She shrugged, tried to portray a carefree sense of well being.

Stephanie pressed her lips into a straight line for a second as she looked around, and then she flashed a wide, bright smile at DJ. It looked about as fake as DJ's felt. “I bet Dad holds off twelve whole hours,” she said.

DJ snorted. “I’ll give him at least twenty-four,” she countered. “He really is trying.”

“Yeah.” Stephanie’s smile wavered another moment, then she shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter. By the time we get back, he’ll have turned all our rooms into shrines, given half the chance.”

“You’re probably right,” DJ said, laughing a little. She pulled the bag a little higher on her shoulder. “Grab my purse, will you?” She nodded toward the little blue jean bag on top of her dresser.

“Does this mean you’re ready?” Stephanie asked.

“Yeah,” DJ grinned. “I’m ready.

*

There were plenty of hugs and kisses downstairs. Everyone gathered to see them off, which was absolutely typical and only a little embarrassing. Mostly, DJ was used to it by now. Besides, she had a plan: if she let them get away with all these things now, when they were only going away for a few days, maybe she would be able to move into the dorm on her own, without the full family entourage in tow.

That, she realized, was probably wishful thinking.

Who was she kidding? It was _definitely_ wishful thinking.

“Remember your sunscreen,” Danny said, one arm across Stephanie’s shoulders and one across Michelle’s. “And don’t swim right after eating. Make sure you don’t leave any food outside so you don’t attract bears, or any other wildlife. Don’t go walking alone at night. Or during the day. Always use the buddy system. Don’t walk anywhere at night, actually, buddy system or not.”

DJ let him talk himself out of words, which would have taken far longer if he didn’t run through his memorized list so quickly. “Thanks, Dad,” she said, and her tone was fond. “I promise, we’ll be fine.”

“It’s only three days, Danny.” Aunt Becky laughed and wrapped DJ into a tight hug. “And they’re not even camping outdoors. They’ll be fine, and back before you know it.” She touched cool fingers to DJ’s cheek, then grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. When she let go, DJ realized there was money tucked against her palm.

 _Thank you,_ she mouthed.

Aunt Becky smiled. _Welcome._

Finally, they managed to escape out the front door, only for Dad’s safety speech to start up all over again as they loaded everyone’s bags into the trunk. They were done before he was, but DJ just leaned against the side of the car and let him run himself out of words a second time.

“Be safe,” he said at last, and kissed her cheek. “Have fun. Call any time if you need us.”

“I will,” she said, then surprised him with one last hug. He clung to her gratefully, and she breathed in the mix of aftershave and cleaning supplies that always made her feel at home. “I’ll take care of everyone.”

“I know you will.” He hugged her tight for a long moment, then stepped back. “I love you, girls.”

“Love you too, Mr. T!” Kimmy chirped, and bounced up to give him a hug. DJ hid a laugh behind her hand, then made her way around to the driver’s side.

“Shotgun!” Stephanie shouted, and Kimmy whirled toward her.

“Oh no you don’t! Best friend privileges mean it’s all mine!”

She still stood close to Dad; he covered his ears with a wince.

They bickered over the door for a long moment, shoving each other -- though gently -- out of the way. DJ beckoned Michelle over. Her littlest sister looked at Kimmy and Stephanie, giggled, and beamed at DJ. No way was DJ going to start choosing between her best friend and her sister this late in the game. They could fight all they wanted; Michelle didn’t want it, so it was hers.

By the time Kimmy and Stephanie realized what had happened, Michelle was already happily ensconced in the front seat, making faces at them through the window.

“Come on, Deej!” Kimmy whined, sticking out her lower lip in a pout.

“Really!” Stephanie added. “How rude!”

DJ laughed at both of them. “If you’re not in the car in five seconds,” she told them, and though she kept giggling, she tried to sound serious, “I’m leaving without you. Michelle can help me eat all the food we packed.”

“It’s not fair,” Stephanie grumbled under her breath, though it was just loud enough for DJ to hear.

“You’re telling me,” Kimmy murmured back. 

“You?” Stephanie snorted. “You don’t have to sit next to a stinky animal.” She sighed. “At least Comet can be a buffer between us.”

“Hey!” Kimmy cried, and they bickered a few minutes longer before they finally settled into the backseat, Comet, unsurprisingly, curled up between them. DJ had long ago learned how to tune them out when they got going. 

“Be safe!” Dad called as he waved at them. “I love you!”

When the street was clear, DJ slowly reversed out of the driveway, and then with one final wave to her family, she pulled away from the house. The sun was bright, the air fresh, and they were headed out to an adventure.

Once they were on their way, she shoved a tape into the player, not bothering to look at which one it was. Rock filled the car with the wail of guitars, and she cranked the music even louder. They rolled their windows down; the road twisted away in front of them. She had her best friend and her sisters, and three whole days where she didn’t have to even think about college prep.

In that moment, DJ felt like there wasn’t anything she couldn’t do.

*

They were maybe forty miles out when trouble struck. 

Point Reyes was less than fifty miles away from San Francisco in the first place, but traffic was heavy, and there had been an accident early on that shut down all but one lane for a good ten miles, so they'd been on the road nearly two hours. DJ didn't really mind. Mostly, she was left alone with the road and her music, which was just how she liked it best.

Next to her, Michelle curled up, rested her head against the door, and tipped her face into the sun. In the backseat, Stephanie had one hand out the window, fingers playing with the air. Kimmy sipped from a big bottle of off-brand orange soda, which was going to be a terrible idea later, when all that sugar and food coloring hit her. Between them, Cosmo sat up, staring toward the windshield, tongue lolling out.

There was a weird, low boom, and the car shimmied. Then came a flapping sound, and DJ gripped the steering wheel tight.

"What was that?" Stephanie cried.

"Flat tire, I think." DJ said.

"Oh no!" Michelle said. She sat up straight now, kept trying to see the tires out her window. "Are we going to be okay?"

"We're fine," DJ said. She tried to sound as comforting as she could, but she didn't think it sounded convincing. She slowed the car as quickly she could, and then pulled the car over onto the shoulder. There wasn't a lot of space, but traffic had slowed down enough at this point that she didn't feel like she'd be hit by a truck the second she stepped outside the car.

"What are we going to do?" Michelle asked. "Are we stuck here?"

DJ turned off the car, set the emergency break, unbuckled her seatbelt, and leaned over to give her sister a hug. "No, of course not. This isn't a big deal. We're going to be fine, I promise."

"There's an exit about a mile from here," Stephanie said. She was unbuckled now too, and leaned up between the front seats. "I bet there's a gas station with a payphone."

"We could call a tow truck," DJ agreed, but the words stuck a little on her tongue.

"Or Dad! We're not _that_ far from home. I bet he, or Uncle Jesse, or Uncle Joey, could come help us." Michelle no longer looked so afraid.

They could do that, too, but -- DJ wasn't superstitious, exactly, but it felt like a bad sign, having to call the guys for help at the very beginning of their trip, right before she was going to leave for college. Dad already wanted her to live at home, and this was just one more reason for him to worry about her. So yes, they could call for help, and then she would spend the next four years wondering if everyone at home really believed she could survive on her own or if they were just playing along and really waiting for the times they needed to clean up her messes.

She was an adult now. She could take care of herself.

"We're not going to call anyone," DJ said. "We're going to change the tire ourselves."

"We're going to what?" Stephanie said. She stared hard at DJ. "Are you kidding?"

"I am not. Dad and Uncle Jesse taught me how to change tires. It's not that hard. I'm going to do it." DJ lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. "We'll be back on the road in no time."

"Let's just call Dad!" Michelle said, dangerously close to a whine.

"No, I've got this. Don't worry." She flashed a wide, bright smile around the car -- so wide it made her cheeks ache -- then checked the traffic and got out of the car. The blown tire was on the passenger side, at least, so she didn't have to be worried about someone driving too close while she was working on it. She looked closely at the tire, but couldn't find what had caused the problem. It didn't really matter, though. Whatever caused it, she had to change it.

DJ went to the trunk, and found the first complication. The spare tire, the jack, and the tire iron were buried somewhere underneath all their stuff. She sighed, and grabbed her duffel bag.

"Let me help." Kimmy slammed the back door and came around to the trunk.

DJ smiled at her. "Have you changed a tire before?"

"Nope! I meant, let me help by cheering you on. Go DJ! You can do it!" She wiggled her hands, fingers spread wide, and DJ burst into laughter.

"Thanks, Gibbler."

"What else are best friends for?"

Together, they emptied the trunk, then figured out how to unlatch the cover over the spare tire. (It took them a couple minutes, which did nothing to make DJ feel better about this attempt at being an adult, but Kimmy wasn't phased. She rarely was. DJ liked that about her quite a bit.) Once everything was set up next to the car, DJ crouched down to look at the tire more closely.

"What do we do first?" Stephanie asked. DJ's head jerked up, and she found her sisters standing by the side of the car, watching her with interest; the side farthest from the road, at least.

"You stay away from traffic," DJ told her. "And don't get too close. You could get hurt if something goes wrong."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows. "You think something will go wrong?"

DJ forced herself to laugh. "Of course not, but you know the rule: better safe than sorry."

"You sound like Dad," Michelle said, giggling. She no longer looked scared, which was a plus.

DJ scrunched up her face. "Gee, thanks a lot."

Michelle's smile got even wider, but she and Stephanie moved back a little bit. Just past the narrow shoulder, the edge of the road began a light slope down toward a grassy field. Wildflowers grew in colorful, sporadic bursts. Her sisters made their way over to one, and Michelle started picking them.

"Be careful!" DJ called. There could be snakes in the grass, or -- or anything, really. None of them were really used to the wilderness. (Not that this was anything close.) She then turned back to the car, trying to remember all the things Dad and Uncle Jesse had told her. Part of the problem was that, of course, the instructions they gave didn't exactly align. Dad's were more detailed, but harder to remember because there were so many; Uncle Jesse's stuck with her, but she felt like she was missing steps.

"Yeah, Deej, you're doing a _terrific_ job," she muttered to herself.

"What?" Kimmy asked. She leaned against the side of the car, hands in her pockets, and watched.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Okay. She could do this. DJ took a deep breath, and then forced herself to begin. She needed to put the jack under the car, she knew, but she couldn't quite remember where she was supposed to put it. Somewhere sturdy, that made sense. The car weighed a lot, and she could damage something or hurt herself if she didn't put it somewhere that could take the weight. She lay down on the ground, ignoring the sharp bite of rocks against her bare legs, and looked under the car. There seemed to be a good spot near the tire, solid and wide; she slid the jack under until it lined up, then got back to her feet.

It was hard work, jacking up the car, and she was sweating by the end, but satisfied, too, with the car tilted up, and the flat tire off the ground. Next, she set about removing the lug nuts. They were tight, and didn't want to move; she had to put a lot of weight into them, and every time she did, she was afraid she would somehow push the car off the jack.

"Should have taken them off first," Stephanie said. She and Michelle had made their way closer again. DJ didn't have the breath to tell them to get farther back.

DJ gave a short, sharp nod, but kept her attention on the problem. Finally, the first one gave a little, and she was able to unscrew it. The others were easier. A little easier, at least. Not _easy_.

After those two steps, taking the tire off was simple. She grabbed it and tugged, expecting resistance; when it came free, she staggered backward and would have landed on her butt if Stephanie hadn't rushed up to brace her.

"Careful!" Stephanie said, and laughed. "To think you were worried about me or Michelle getting hurt."

"Michelle or me," DJ corrected without thinking, and set the flat tire aside. It was a little more difficult to get the spare tire in place, because she had to line everything up just right. That proved to be far too entertaining for her sisters; Stephanie eased around to one side so she could call directions, which of course led to Kimmy doing the same thing.

When she finally got it in place, Michelle cheered, and Stephanie and Kimmy high fived over DJ's head. (They then jerked their hands away, and glared at each other, which made DJ want to laugh.)

"Yeah, yeah," she told them, infusing her voice with as much sarcasm as possible. "You guys were a ton of help."

"You got it done, didn't you?" Stephanie punched DJ in the shoulder. "So clearly we were."

DJ shook her head. "We're not done yet," she reminded them. "Hand me one of the lug nuts."

It was almost as much work getting them back on as it was getting them off. She remembered Uncle Jesse saying something about not tightening them in a row, but instead doing one and then the one across from it to help keep the tire balanced; she put them all on, but left them kind of loose. Dad had said something about not tightening them until the tire was back on the ground, so she did that next, took it down until the tire just touched, then worked on tightening them all the way.

"I can help," Kimmy offered.

"Almost done," she promised, but even if she hadn't been, she wouldn't have let anyone help. She was determined to do it herself. Superstitious or not, this felt like a challenge, and she was going to succeed.

She was almost done, and though it took a lot of effort to get the hub caps tight enough, when she finally removed the jack and the car sat on four good tires again, warm satisfaction filled her. She'd done it, on her own, and nothing had gone wrong, nobody had been hurt. Her first real adult challenge, and she'd passed it with flying colors.

Somehow, it felt like an even bigger reason to celebrate than graduation had.

"Great job, Deej!" Stephanie said.

"That was awesome," Kimmy added. "You're like a car boss."

DJ laughed, giddy with her success. "Come on," she said. "Let's load the car and get out of here. I want to see the cabin!"

They quickly put the flat tire where the spare had been and put away the tools, then tossed their bags into the trunk on top. Michelle brought them wildflower crowns when they were done. They each wore one, and under the warm sun, in the cool breeze, flowers in her hair and surrounded by her girls, DJ decided the signs for her future were good.

*

Aunt Becky had found them a great deal on a cute little cabin in the trees, somewhere between Point Reyes and Inverness. From the cabin, they could easily hike down to the ocean -- though the climb back up would be a struggle, and anyway, the water was too cold for swimming long without a wetsuit and the waves too big for DJ to feel comfortable letting Stephanie and Michelle swim there, the surf heavy and tall -- or take one of the trails that lead into fields of flowers or deep into the trees. It was a beautiful location, though with the gray skies and chill to the air that had settled in around the time they arrived, it was a cold, desolate beauty that made DJ’s chest ache. 

The key was just where it was supposed to be, hidden under a fake rock under the bush closest to the front door. The cabin smelled of cleaning supplies and vanilla air fresheners. First thing DJ did was open the windows, letting in fresh, crisp air.

Inside the cabin was a friendly and welcoming, though. It was decorated in a nautical theme that was just a little too on the nose -- read, cheesy -- for the location, but charming enough that DJ didn’t mind. The blue and white stripes in the kitchen were offset by cheerful yellow plates and lacey white curtains over the windows with bright sunflowers on the bottom.

There were two bedrooms and one bathroom, which had small pastel soaps shaped like seashells. One bedroom had twin beds with twisty metal frames covered in chipped white paint; the other had a queen size sleigh bed. The window in that room faced out into the trees, and looking out it, there was no real sign of civilization.

“I’m with Steph!” Michelle cried, slinging her sparkly backpack over her shoulder. 

“Of course you are,” Stephanie reassured her. “There’s no way I’d get any sleep with Kimmy around. We’ll be lucky if the smell of her feet doesn’t kill us even from another room.”

DJ rolled her eyes. “Be nice,” she admonished, but there was no heat to her words. Stephanie had a good point, after all, but it wasn’t the end of the world. “We’ll leave the windows open. It’ll be fine.”

“I’m starving,” Kimmy said, ignoring all of their teasing. “Is it dinner time yet?”

“No,” DJ said. “Not for a couple more hours.”

“Dad’s not here,” Michelle said, bouncing a little in place. “Can’t we keep our own schedule?”

“Or how about no schedule at all!” Kimmy suggested, and laughed. “You Tannerinos, so stuck on your organization and your scheduling and your calendars.”

DJ smacked at her shoulder, lightly. “My organizational skills got you out of so much trouble.”

“True.” Kimmy’s smile was fond. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not obnoxious, too.”

She shrugged. “Can’t argue with that,” she said. “Sometimes, I just want to change the colors on his calendars, mess up his color coding.”

“Switch his socks around,” Stephanie added. DJ caught her gaze, and they laughed together. It was a childish prank, but the memory never failed to make her smile.

“So, food?” Michelle prompted.

DJ shrugged. “Yeah, sure. Why not? I was going to suggest we unpack, but let’s eat first.”

“Unpack?” Kimmy asked, eyes wide. “Don’t waste your time, Deej!”

She laughed, and they all went to work getting settled in the cabin. Their late lunch or early dinner -- 

“Why isn’t there a better word for this?” Stephanie asked. “Like brunch. Brunch is a thing.”

“Linner?” Kimmy suggested, and though it wasn’t funny at all, they all burst out giggling. 

\-- was simple enough, sandwiches, chips, and soda, and then they headed out to explore Inverness. 

Stephanie and Michelle sat together in the back this time, and leaned out the windows, staring around the town. DJ didn’t blame them. It wasn’t at all what she had expected. She thought it would be like Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, sleepy little seaside towns filled with a bunch of old hippies, maybe some starving artists. College kids, at least in Santa Cruz.

Inverness was different. Sure, there were places that looked like artist studios, but mostly it was filled with wood houses with big glass windows letting in the sunlight. The people wore intentionally casual clothes that didn’t disguise the old money look to them.

People nodded at them when Michelle waved, but no one waved, and no one really smiled at them, until they decided to stop for ice cream at the little grocery store. There was only one cashier at the front, and one guy stocking shelves, but they both smiled when they greeted them, and helped them find everything they needed.

(Stephanie sneaked another bag of marshmallows into their shopping basket. They’d brought two with them already. Still, DJ, feeling indulgent, didn’t say a word when Stephanie put it on the counter as they were checking out, and pretend that she didn’t see her sisters high fiving when they thought she was looking the other way.)

“Can we go swimming?” Michelle asked as they carried their bags out to the car. The store was close enough to a beach -- Shell Beach, DJ thought she’d seen a sign -- that she could hear kids shrieking with joy.

“Sorry, we can’t. We have to get the food into the fridge before it goes bad.”

“Can we come back here after?” Michelle asked. She crowded up against DJ’s side and smiled up at her, winsome and pleading. “Please, oh please, oh please?”

It was a waste of time and gas to drive all the way back to Inverness only to have to turn around and drive back to the cabin again after that. The part of her that craved logic and organization wanted to say no, wanted to tell Michelle that she could wait until tomorrow to swim.

But she didn’t always want to be that logical, organized person. She wanted to be open to adventures. She wanted to have fun, now, and when she moved to Berkeley.

“Yeah,” she said, and Michelle squealed and threw her arms around DJ even though DJ was laden down with bags. “We’ll put away the food and come back.”

“Can we bring Comet?” Michelle asked as they loaded the groceries into the trunk. “He’d have so much fun!”

DJ shrugged. “I don’t know if dogs are allowed on the beach,” she said, “but we can try. If they’re not, we can take turns walking him around town while the others swim.”

“Thanks, DJ!” Michelle gave her another big hug. This time, DJ could hug back. “You’re the best big sister ever!”

“Hey!” Stephanie cried. “I’m standing right here!”

Their giggling argument carried them all the way back to the cabin.

*

Michelle took Comet’s leash and led him down to the water, just far enough that the waves hit their feet as they ran out. She shrieked and danced, and Comet wiggled around her, barking and leaping and shaking his fur every time a bit of ocean spray got him.

“This was a great idea, DJ,” Stephanie said. She was sprawled on one side of DJ, Kimmy on the other. “Even if Gibbler had to come along too.”

“Stop,” DJ said, but none of them really had the energy to take their argument anywhere real.

Kimmy rolled over onto her back. “She’s just jealous she’ll never be as gorgeous or sexy as me.”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“Well I’m not going to miss this,” DJ told them, a smile twitching the corner of her mouth.

“Yes you are!” Stephanie jostled her arm. “You’re going to miss everything about us! Me fighting with Kimmy, Michelle and me hogging the bathroom, the twins shrieking in the middle of the night, Dad obsessively cleaning again after we’ve cleaned a room, Uncle Joey’s voices and finding his toys in weird places -- you’re going to miss every last second.”

She wasn’t wrong, but no way was DJ ready to talk about that. She nudged her sunglasses higher up her nose and jumped to her feet. “Last one in the water’s a rotten egg!” she shouted, and just like when they’d been little kids, that was enough competition to send them all scrambling down the beach, shrieking and shoving each other.

The water was cold against her bare skin when DJ leapt into it; her shout disappeared in a gasp of air. She kept going, until she was hip deep and could dive into the waves, lose herself in the salt and the darkness.

She pressed her hands together, thought about swimming out until her body went numb, just to see how far she could go. She would ride the surf back, crash against the beach, shaking and blue.

“Deej!” Stephanie shouted. “Comet found a crab!”

She turned, and laughed, and made her way back to her family.

*

DJ hooked Comet’s leash to his collar, then headed out, easing the door shut behind her so it wouldn’t wake anyone else. The sun was just rising behind the cabin, and the sky toward the ocean was still a deep, dark blue. At least what she could see of it was. Tendrils of fog curled toward her from the water. The wind was gentle, and it sent little eddies through the fog, almost as if someone walked through it just out of sight.

She shivered, pulled her hoodie up, and sped up her pace a little. This part of the path was easy enough, though it led to the strenuous trails. She’d never seen anyone on them, even though she’d read that they were very popular.

The peace was nice. Even when she would rather be sleeping, DJ loved this time of day, when the world was just waking up, everything peaceful and still. Even if there were other people around, any noise they made would be muffled by the fog. The sunrise was even a little muted by it, softened at the edges, watercolor spilling across the sky.

Comet was a hoot, sniffing at everything, sometimes stopping to mark his territory. She wondered, sometimes, what kind of things he got from the smells other dogs left behind, if there were stories in it, or maybe a map of what they’d done or where they’d been.

She laughed at herself, shook away those random thoughts.

*

They spent the day hiking, playing fetch with Comet, competing to see who could spot the most animals. (Michelle was great at finding squirrels up in the trees; Kimmy found the weirdest little things burrowing in the dirt, things none of them recognized. Stephanie kept swearing she saw different birds, some of them names DJ would have sworn she was making up, except she didn’t want to argue even about something as small as that.)

That night, they grilled hot dogs over a campfire -- with a bucket of water set nearby, because they had promised they would be safe -- which was way harder than DJ would have thought. Half the time, they ended up burnt on the outside and cold in the middle; the rest, they were either burnt through or fell off the stick into the fire.

Comet got far too many pieces himself. 

“He’s going to throw it all up,” DJ warned Michelle the third time she caught her slipping him a bite.

“No he won’t! He sneaks people food all the time. He’ll be fine.”

She shook her head. “If he makes a mess, any mess, you’re on cleanup duty.”

Michelle huffed, then laughed. “You got it, dude!”

“Doggie duty,” Stephanie said sotto voce, dragging it out. It was stupid and childish. It made them all giggle.

They roasted marshmallows after until their stomachs were full and the fingers and faces sticky. Stephanie kept yawning. It was hard to tell with the way the shadows moved, but DJ thought Kimmy might have dozed off where she sat.

Michelle kept looking over at DJ. She let it go for awhile, but when it didn’t stop, she finally asked, “What’s up, kid?”

“I’m not a kid,” she said, an automatic response, then added, “When are you coming home?”

“We’ll be here two more days. You know that.’

“No.” Michelle shoved another marshmallow onto the stick she was using, then put it directly into the fire. She, ever a weirdo, like her marshmallows absolutely charred on the outside; if they actually caught fire, all the better. “I mean, when are you going to come home from Berkeley?”

Oh.

DJ stretched her arms over head, hands laced together, and pushed until her back popped. “I’ll be home for Thanksgiving,” she promised. “And then I get a long break at Christmas.”

Her words didn’t have the intended effect at all.

“Thanksgiving!” Michelle yelped. “That’s forever from now!”

Despite herself, DJ smiled. “It’s only a couple months. You won’t even have time to miss me.”

“I don’t want you to go.” She said the words fast and low. “Can’t you live at home?”

The problem was, she could. It would be a hell of a daily commute, but she could do it. She just didn’t want to. Living at home would be wonderful and warm, familiar and safe; she didn’t want safe. She wanted a new adventure. She wanted college to be different than high school -- she wanted college DJ to be different than high school DJ.

She wasn’t sure she could change the way she needed to if she lived at home.

But how could she tell Michelle that without making her feel like a burden, like someone DJ needed to leave behind?

“I’m going to miss you so much, Michelle, and I promise, I’ll come home every month to see you.”

Michelle ducked her head, and between the flickering shadows and the angle, DJ couldn’t make out her expression or whether she was crying or not.

“Michelle,” she said, but didn’t know what else to say.

“Can I come visit you?” Michelle asked. She looked up at last, and her eyes were bright, but there was a hint of a smile trembling at the corners of her mouth. “Will you show me all the secret places on campus?”

“As many as I can find,” DJ promised. She leaned forward then, and lowered her voice. “Will you make me another marshmallow? I can’t get them just right, the way you can.”

That shaky smile flickered into place, and Michelle jerked her stick out of the fire, blew the flames off the end, and popped it into her mouth. That made DJ wince; she knew how hot it was, freshly burned. She had no idea how Michelle could eat them so fast like that.

Michelle made her marshmallows. Stephanie woke up enough to demand some for herself. DJ tipped back her head, stared up at the sky. The firelight killed some of her night vision, but she could still make out a great wash of bright stars.

“Star light, star bright,” she murmured, but she had long missed the first star.

*

It took all three of them to get Kimmy inside, and not a one of them could stop laughing at the others.

*

DJ couldn’t sleep, and for once it wasn’t because Kimmy was a loud, violent sleeper who snored and drooled and thrashed about and cuddled up at DJ until her arms and legs were pinned. Every time she started to doze off, thoughts of college swamped her, and her eyes popped open again. Her heart raced. Her cheeks heated. She felt like she’d been chugging coffee all night, and maybe ate a pound of sugar with it. Well, the pound of sugar was about right. She’d caged marshmallows off Michelle until she was sure her little sister felt better.

She was too young to have a heart attack, right? 

“DJ?” Kimmy’s voice was quiet, sleep rough. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Sorry I woke you.”

“Wasn’t asleep,” she mumbled.

DJ laughed, but kept it as soft as possible. “Sure you weren’t.”

Kimmy peeled one eye open and squinted at her. DJ could just see her face in the moonlight flowing in through the window. The cabin was remote enough that she didn’t mind leaving the curtains open so she could see the great, wide night sky and the thick spill of stars across it.

“Really,” she said around a yawn, “what’s wrong?”

“Really, nothing,” DJ said. She scooted around until she could sit up and lean against the headboard, blankets pooled over her lap. Kimmy rolled onto her side. She looked a little more awake at this point. “I can’t sleep.”

Kimmy propped her head on her hand. “Good not sleep or bad not sleep?”

She rubbed her temples. “Last night, I thought it was just excitement. Tonight, though, it really sucks.”

“Is this one of those third time’s the charm things? One more time, DJ, what’s wrong?”

DJ laughed, scrunched down a little. “Really, nothing. I’m just thinking about college.”

“Are you excited?” There was a moment of silence before she added, “Or are you scared?”

“Both, I guess. Mostly excited, but …” She ran out of words.

“It’s a huge change,” Kimmy filled in the blanks. “You’re moving out, you’re going to school with all new people, you won’t get to see your family every day or pet Comet whenever you want or hang out with me.”

She choked off her words, rolled over onto her back.

“Kimmy.” DJ’s heart lurched. “I’m still going to hang out with you all the time!”

Kimmy looked over and smiled a little, but it wasn’t a happy expression at all. “No we won’t. And that’s okay, Deej. You’re going to have all new friends at Berkeley, and you’ll be so busy you won’t even have time to call.”

“You’ll make new friends too!” DJ said. She grabbed Kimmy’s hand. “And I am never, ever going to be too busy for you. I promise.”

“I know we’ll still be friends.” Kimmy squeezed her hand. “But things are changing, and I can be sad about that.”

DJ slumped the rest of the way down until they were lying side by side, still holding hands. “I’m sad about it too. I’m excited to go to Berkeley, and I think my roommate sounds like she’s going to be nice, but I don’t want to leave my family, and I hate that I won’t live next door to you.”

Kimmy gripped her hand tight. “It’s so far away.”

Despite the somber mood, DJ couldn’t help but laugh. “Kimmy! We successfully hitchhiked to Berkeley when we were thirteen! I think we can manage to see each other now that we’re all grown up.”

Kimmy snorted. “Bet our costumes aren’t as good now,” she said.

“Yeah, right. I bet this Halloween, we’ll look even better.”

They lie in silent for a moment; DJ listened to their breathing. It didn’t quite line up, but the little hitch in their rhythms made her smile. 

“I’m going to miss you,” Kimmy whispered.

“You’re my BFF.” DJ scooted closer until she could rest her head on Kimmy’s shoulder. “That means forever.”

“I know.”

After another moment of silence, DJ added, “I’m really going to miss you.”

“I know that too.”

DJ dozed off still holding Kimmy’s hand.

*

The next day, everyone was dragging. Kimmy’s feet hurt from all the hiking. Michelle was grumpy and whiny; she wanted to go back to Inverness to go swimming again, but she didn’t want to get into the car, didn’t want to go for a walk, didn’t want to read one of her books, didn’t want to eat anything they had for breakfast. Stephanie snapped at her four times in a row.

“Enough!” DJ’s voice rang out through the cabin, and everyone froze. “We’re taking a break before we kill each other. Michelle, Kimmy, you guys stay here. You can take the car if you want. The keys are in my purse. Stephanie, get Comet’s leash. We’re going for a walk.”

She expected one -- or maybe all -- of them to start whining or to shout at her, but everyone seemed relieved to have a plan of action. Once the leash was attached to Comet’s collar, DJ and Stephanie headed out. As they left, she heard Kimmy offer to make scrambled eggs, and Michelle finally, finally agree to eat something.

“Everyone sucks,” Stephanie muttered.

It took every bit of self-control she had not to roll her eyes. “We do not,” DJ said. She couldn’t quite keep the annoyance out of her tone, but she tamped most of it down. “Why are you in such a terrible mood?”

Stephanie shrugged. “No reason.”

DJ huffed, shoved some of her hair out of her face. Then she made herself take a slow, deep breath. She remembered what it was like to be Stephanie’s age, to be full of emotions and not always have the words to make herself understood. (She still felt like a lot of the time.)

“I’m here if you want to talk,” she said, and then let the subject drop.

They walked in silence for nearly an hour, the peace only broken by Comet dancing from side to side, tangling his leash in bushes so he could sniff every inch of the trees within his reach, and the occasional sharp crack of a twig when Stephanie grabbed one and snapped it.

She was just about to suggest they turn back, maybe even go down to the beach in Inverness to swim again, when Comet froze and started to shake. His attention was laser focused ahead of them, and after a second, DJ saw the rabbit.

Everything happened all at once: the rabbit took off into the brush, Comet lunged after it, a frenzy of snarling barks and flashing teeth. He tore his leash out of Stephanie’s hand; she spun toward him, lunged forward, but her fingers just missed him, and he was gone.

She scrambled back to her feet. “He’ll hurt himself!” she cried, and ran after him. “His leash!”

DJ had the same worry. His leash was long, and it would be all too easy for it to get snagged on something, ddraw him up sharp, choke him, maybe even snap his neck. She raced after them, and for many long moments, all she knew was her fear and her running, the sharp whip of slender branches against her arms, held up to protect herself, and the burn of air in her lungs. 

Stephanie headed to the right, and DJ angled left. They didn’t need to talk about it beforehand. For awhile, DJ could hear Stephanie crashing through the bushes, but that faded with each step, and soon she ran alone, gasping breath loud in her ears. Sometimes, in the distance, she heard Stephanie, winded, shout Comet’s name.

She stopped when she realized she had no idea where she was going. There looked to be a path through woods in front of her, small and faint, but that didn’t mean Comet had followed it. There were any number of animals living here, and a good handful she didn’t want to meet face to face.

Something else to worry about, Stephanie or Comet running headlong into an angry bear.

Her heart pounded in her chest; her breath rasped in her throat; she had to lean against a tree to catch here balance as her vision swam. She didn’t hear Stephanie anymore, nor anything that sounded like Comet.

Nothing animal at all, really. No birds chirped, nothing moved in the underbrush. When everything went quiet, didn’t that mean there was a predator around? Something big enough to send all the little things hiding, shaking, in their burrows.

She shoved away from the tree, spun in a circle trying to see through the dense woods. She looked low, at the base of the trees for a bear; she looked high, in the branches, for a cougar. Did they have wolves in this part of California? She didn’t think so, but what did she know about predators, really? For all she knew, there was someone human stomping around, startling the birds into flight and the rabbits into their burrows.

Oh. 

She was the predator, and Stephanie, both of them plunging into the woods, and Comet, snarling as he ran. Maybe there was nothing else around after all.

Then, in the distance, she heard someone shout.

“Stephanie?” she cried, and started toward where she thought it came from. Another shout followed, still too far away for her to make out the words. “Stephanie, where are you?”

Another shout, and barking after. DJ started running again, and just a few minutes later, she stumbled into a clearing. Stephanie was there, bent over Comet. He had one paw up, but DJ couldn’t see any blood, at least not from across the clearing. 

A stranger held his leash.

He was tall, a little weedy, though his shoulders were broad. He had floppy brown hair just long enough to fall across his eyebrows, a bit of a plain face, and a dimple in his right cheek. His hands were big, with long fingers, but he held Comet’s leash delicately. He looked nice enough, though she knew looking nice didn’t necessarily mean being nice. Probably he wasn’t a threat.

“Is Comet okay?” DJ asked, because that was the most worrisome thing.

“I think so,” Stephanie bit her lower lip. “I don’t know. Come take a look at him. This is your kind of thing.”

“I’m nowhere near ready to be a vet,” she said, but she went over anyway, and crouched next to him. Comet whined, pressed his head into her hand when she touched him, and didn’t flinch away until she got to the foot he held off the ground. When she prodded it, gently, he whimpered, tried to move away, but did not bite.

“It’s okay, boy,” she murmured, as she tried to get a good look at the bottom of his paw.

The stranger crouched down too. “What a good dog,” he said, and held out his hand for Comet to sniff. While he was distracted, DJ lifted the paw and carefully touched the pads.

“Oh, there’s a little rock.” She eased it free, trying not to cause him any more pain. Comet whimpered again, and Stephane stroked his head right behind his ears. Finally, DJ got the rock out and tossed it aside. Comet leaned into her, panting hard, but he put his weight back on that foot again, so she wasn’t worried.

“He’s a gorgeous dog,” the stranger said, and smiled at her. “Comet, right?”

DJ’s tongue stilled. His smile transformed him from a little bit forgettable to absolutely gorgeous. She stammered a little, trying to find her voice.

“Yes, he’s Comet,” Stephanie said, laughter threaded through her words. “Who are you? Because Guy Who Was in the Right Place at the Right Time to Save Our Dog is a bit of a mouthful.”

His laugh was even better than his smile. He had rosy cheeks, and perfect straight white teeth, and his laugh was deep and full.

“If that’s too much, you could just call me Mr. Hero,” he told her, but he kept turning that great smile to DJ. “But if that’s still too much, most people call me Tommy.”

“Hi, Tommy. I’m Stephanie, and this is my sister, DJ.”

“You saved Comet?” DJ finally found her voice.

He shrugged, and turned a little pink. “I bet he would’ve been fine, but his leash caught on a bush, and I caught it before he got all twisted up in anything else. Don’t know what he was chasing, though.”

“A rabbit,” DJ said, and rubbed her hand along Comet’s back. He was warm and soft, and a nice distraction from her sudden nerves. She had talked to plenty of cute boys before. This shouldn’t be any different, but it felt like it was. Maybe because she hadn’t expected to talk to anyone but her sisters and Kimmy for the next two days.

“Do you live around here?” Stephanie asked. DJ looked over at her sister, but Stephanie didn’t look like she was flirting. She just sounded friendly and curious.

“No, I’m down in L.A. My family goes camping up here every summer. What about you guys?”

“Just visiting,” Stephanie said. Before she could say anything else -- tell him where they lived -- DJ stood.

“Thanks for helping with Comet,” she said.

“Ah, so you do talk,” he said, but the smile gentled his teasing.

“When I have something to say.” The words came out a little sharper than she meant, and she smiled to take the sting out of them. Then his smile got wider still, and DJ found it impossible to stop smiling at him.

“Want to come over for dinner?” he asked. “My dad always cooks way too much, and tonight hamburgers and campfire cake night. You can bring Comet, my parents love dogs.”

DJ started to shake her head, but Stephanie bounced upright. “Can we go, Deej?” she asked. “Please? It sounds like fun.”

“You’re sure your parents won’t mind?” DJ asked.

“Not at all,” Tommy said, still with that easy grin. “That’s why we camp up here, to make new friends. Some of the same people come back every year, but there’s also always a bunch of new campers and friendly hikers. And,” he chuckled, “runaway dogs, which are my favorite.”

“There’s two more of us,” DJ told him.

“The more the merrier.” He stood, too, reached down to stroke the top of Comet’s head. “Unless you’re a band of thieves, roaming the coast to take advantage of innocent campers.”

“Yes,” DJ drawled, “that’s definitely us.”

“I thought you had a shifty look to you.” If anything, his smile was wider and brighter than ever before. “So, do you know your way around the trails here?” 

She shook her head. “Not really, no.”

“We’re in the Sand Dollar Cabins,” Stephanie piped up. “Is that near you guys?”

“Not too far. I can meet you there around six, bring you to the campsite, if that would help.”

“Yeah, probably should.” DJ laughed. “I’m not entirely sure how to get back to the cabins as it is.”

“I know the way!” Stephanie chirped. “I’ll show you.”

DJ smiled at her, swamped with fondness for her little sister, then held out her hand for the leash. Tommy handed it over, and his fingers brushed against hers. It was a just a momentary touch, but it sent a chill through her.

“It was nice meeting you, DJ, Stephanie.” Tommy leaned down to pet Comet one more time. “Comet the Runaway. I’ll see you guys later.”

“Bye, Tommy!” Stephanie called as they walked away. DJ gave him a little wave, feeling suddenly, painfully shy.

Once they were out of sight -- and, DJ hoped, out of hearing range -- Stephanie turned to her with a big grin. “He’s cu-ute,” she singsonged. “I think you like him.”

DJ’s cheeks burned, but she couldn’t help her smile. “He was cute,” she admitted. “And nice, to help save Comet. But I’m not looking for a boyfriend right now.”

“I know.” For a moment, Stephanie’s smile wavered, but then it came back as bright as ever. “Doesn’t mean you can’t flirt tonight.”

“In front of his parents?” DJ pointed out.

“Oh, right.” Stephanie laughed. “Never mind then.”

DJ slung one arm across her shoulders. “I’m here for my girls,” she said. “Not some new boy, no matter how cute he is.”

The smile and hug that earned her was better than any flirting ever could have been.

*

Tommy’s parents were just as friendly as he said. They had burgers and corn on the cob cooked in aluminum foil directly on the coals, piping hot and, with butter and black pepper, the most delicious thing she’d ever eaten. They talked easily throughout meal prep and dinner, asking about everyone’s plans for the future, encouraging Stephanie to show off some of her dance moves, listening to Michelle talk about her recent concussion. They shared their own stories, too, about the road trip they took after college, the time they went skydiving. They got DJ talking about her dreams of becoming a veterinarian, and only bragged a little about Tommy wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a fireman.

And then they went off to their tent, which was set up quite a ways away from the campfire, and left the rest of them alone.

“Your parents are pretty great,” DJ told Tommy.

“Thanks. I think I’ll keep them.” His smile was even better in the firelight. “Are you close with your parents?”

DJ rested her elbows on her thighs and her chin on her hands. “My mom died a long time ago, but yeah, I am with my dad.”

“I’m sorry.” He said it simply and without hesitation. It was always a crapshoot to see how people would react. She liked how he handled it.

“Thanks, but it’s okay. I was just a little kid. I mean, I miss her, but -- it’s okay.” She looked over at the fire for a moment to give herself a little break, and then smiled at him. “My two uncles helped Dad raise us. I have a great family.”

“Good, I’m glad.” They were quiet a moment, just smiling at each other.

“Hey!” Michelle threw a marshmallow at them. “You promised me ghost stories during dinner. Time to pay up!”

Tommy laughed and turned toward them. “I’ll tell you a story in exchange for a s’more,” he said.

Michelle scrunched up her face, then nodded. “That sounds like a fair deal.” She dug another marshmallow out of the bag, stuck it on the end of her stick, and started toasting it. “You like them lightly browned or blackened to a crisp?”

“Surprise me.” 

“Wrong choice,” DJ murmured, and Tommy cracked a smile, but otherwise ignored her.

He thought a moment, then shifted around on the log until he was comfortable. “Okay, have you heard the one about Lover’s Lane?”

Stephanie laughed. “Which one? Hook in the door handle, werewolf in the bushes, or dead boyfriend scratching the roof?”

“Oh, well, I didn’t know how well versed you are in urban legends. I’ll have to try hard to impress this group.” His smile got wider than ever. “This one happened to my cousin’s best friend. My cousin, Sheila, she swears it’s true. She and her friend baby-sit a lot, but this boy Sheila likes asked her out after she’d already accepted a job. Her friend covered for her, went to the job instead. It was a stormy night, cold and rainy even though it was late spring. The clouds were so dark it looked like midnight at two p.m.”

Stephanie and Michelle leaned forward, watching him intently. Kimmy lounged nearby, feet toward the fire, petting Comet’s ears; he rested his head in her lap.

“Sheila said her friend called her around six, right before Sheila left her house to meet the boy at the movie theater. She was nervous, kept hearing noises outside the house. She had never baby-sat for the family before, and asked Sheila if the father was always so grumpy, the mother so tense. They had snapped at her when they left.”

DJ let herself look at him as much as she wanted. He was telling a story, after all, it made sense for him to be at the center of attention. The fire cast light and shadows flickering across his face, and his eyes sparkled as he told his story. His big hands were surprisingly elegant as he gestured, and he knew how to use the rise and fall of his voice to set the mood.

She allowed herself one moment to imagine those hands on her body, cupping the back of her head, touching her face so gentle and sure, and then shook away the thoughts. She wasn’t looking for a boyfriend. If she wanted to date, well, she and Steve were friends again, and it was clear he wanted more. Plus she’d be meeting new people at Berkeley. Long distance was going to be hard enough with Kimmy and her family. She didn’t need to add a new boy -- no matter how friendly and cute -- to complicate her life further.

“Sheila talked her friend down, told her she was just feeling nervous because of the storm. The family had call waiting, and their phone call was interrupted. Sheila was only on hold for a few seconds, she said, but when her friend came back, she sounded shakier and weirder than ever. The second call was strange, she said, just breathing at first, and then someone whispering something she couldn’t quite hear. Sheila convinced her it was just a prank call, it was the rage around their school, but when they hung up so Sheila could leave, she said she felt a little odd herself. Not weird enough to call back, but like something was wrong. She convinced herself she was just worried that her friend didn’t like baby-sitting there as much as she did, but --”

“But the calls keep coming,” Michelle piped up.

Stephanie laughed and finished it with, “And they were coming from inside the house!”

Tommy shook his head. “Okay, okay, I can see you know all the normal stories. I’ll have to think of a really good one.”

“Boring!” Michelle pulled his marshmallow out of the fire, blew out the flame at the end. “DJ, you tell us one! You’re better than he is!”

“I tried my best,” Tommy reassured her. “Did I earn a s’more at least?”

Michelle shook her head, grumbling, but DJ straightened with a laugh. “Oh, come on, you’ve already ruined all his storytelling bravado. Give him his treat, and I’ll tell you a real story.”

Tommy beamed at her, and her cheeks heated. She hoped if he noticed he would blame it on how close they sat to the fire. She held his gaze just one moment longer, then turned to her sisters and widened her eyes.

She had the perfect ghost story for them, sitting there in the darkness in the middle of the woods. She couldn’t wait to hear them scream.

*

Tommy walked them back to the cabin, which DJ appreciated. Even more when he had big flashlights that threw a lot of light onto the trail. Stephanie and Kimmy were a few feet behind them, bickering -- or maybe teasing -- each other, and Michelle ran ahead with Comet, then circled back to them every once in awhile.

“I’m glad I met you, DJ,” Tommy said when the cabin came into view ahead of them. “Can I get your phone number?”

She hesitated, because none of her carefully thought out objections had changed, but -- but he was friendly and cute and absolutely charming with her sisters.

“Yeah, okay,” she said. He graced her with a wide, bright smile, and it took everything she had not to kiss him right there in front of her sisters and her best friend. “I think there’s some paper inside.”

She ran inside quickly, found a pen, tore a little bit of paper off one of the magazine Michelle brought to read -- her sister was going to kill her when she realized it, but DJ was careful not to tear anything important -- and then scribbled her name and number and hurried back outside.

DJ had been gone less than a minute, she swore, but everything had changed by the time she rejoined the others. No one was laughing and running around; Michelle and Stephanie were bunched up with Comet, and Kimmy stood near Tommy, all of them staring out across the trees. The cabin was higher than some of the land around it, and they could see pretty far toward the next big rise.

In the distance, right where the sky met land, there was a strange orange glow.

“What’s that?” DJ heard herself ask, even though she already had a pretty good idea.

“Fire.” Tommy’s voice was quiet and serious. “It looks like a forest fire.”

“Will it come over here?” Michelle asked, voice shaking. “Are we in danger?”

Tommy finally looked away from the distant flames. “They’re really far away,” he said. “You’re going to be fine.” He turned to DJ, lowered his voice. “You should get out of here, though. Just in case.”

She nodded. “We can probably get a hotel in Inverness. Come back for our stuff tomorrow.”

He glanced toward the fire again. “Not Inverness,” he said. “Head east. Take your stuff. I can help you pack.”

“You think it’s coming this way.” Her heart lurched.

“No.” He took her hand. “No, probably not. I meant what I said. It’s far away, and you’re going to be fine. But fire can be unpredictable.”

She nodded, breathed in deep, held it, then let it out slow. She had to think about Stephanie and Michelle, about Kimmy, about Comet. “Okay. We’ll get out of here.” Her voice shook a little, and she forced it to steady. “I can do this.”

“Definitely,” he agreed, even though she hadn’t meant to say that part out loud.

“You should go tell your parents. We’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?”

She squeezed his hand. “Yeah. Go. You need to tell them.”

“I’m still glad I met you, DJ.”

She pressed the paper with her number on it into his hand. “I’m glad I met you too, Tommy Fuller.”

There was a moment when she could have done it, pressed a quick, glancing kiss to his mouth. Instead, they stood looking at each other, holding hands, and the moment passed.

“I’ll call you,” he said. He promised. Despite everything, it made her smile.

“I hope you do.”

He took off down the trail at a slow jog. She watched him a second, then turned to the others, made her voice steady and as cheerful as she could manage. “Come on, guys. Let’s get the car loaded. Don’t worry about packing everything back into your bags.”

Michelle looked like she might cry, but lifted her chin, set her jaw. She could be a stubborn kid, but that was going to serve her well.

DJ hurried them inside, but couldn’t help one last look back at the distant glow.

*

Dad was in the kitchen eating yogurt when they came in. It was late enough she didn’t expect him to still be up, but she was glad to see him.

“DJ!” he cried, and jumped to his feet. “What’s wrong? Is everyone okay?”

“We’re fine, Dad. I promise.” She went to give him a hug. When she told him what happened, he would probably never again let her take Stephanie and Michelle anywhere without him. She would tell him, of course, she wasn’t going to lie to him, but for a moment, all she wanted was a hug.

She’d held it together for her sisters, but now that they were all safe, tears burned. She closed her eyes against them, and squeezed her dad tight.

*

DJ’s room was organized again, everything packed up, donated, or stored away. Her car was full of her stuff. She was full from family dinner, and family dessert, and family breakfast. She had tried and failed to talk them down to only letting Dad, Uncle Jesse, and Uncle Joey help her move into the dorm, but she didn’t mind any longer. Aunt Becky had even hired a baby-sitter for the twins so she could come with them. Kimmy claimed shotgun in DJ’s car. For once, no one else fought her over it.

The sun was bright, the air warm. DJ stood outside her house, wearing sunglasses, jean shorts, and a loose floral t-shirt, waiting on her family. 

She felt a sharp pang at the thought of leaving them behind, but it wasn’t forever. No matter how far she went, she knew this would always be her home.

**Author's Note:**

> There really was a fire at Inverness Point in 1995, though later in the year. It was started by a poorly extinguished campfire, and no one was killed. As with the location details, I've changed things up to fit the story.


End file.
